The Bainbridge Island Fire Department raised the fire danger level to “extreme” on Monday following two brush fires over the past week.

Fire Marshal Luke Carpenter said it’s the first time in his more than 12 years in the Bainbridge Island Fire Department that conditions have warranted such a decision.

The move came after a grass fire on Fletcher Bay Road on July 31 that blackened more than an acre of land. High temperatures and the lack of rain expected in coming weeks were also major factors.

“We’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of wildland fires for us this year. Seeing that, recognizing how quickly this stuff can burn, recognizing this fire Friday had a lot of potential to it, we decided to raise it to ‘extreme,’” Carpenter said.

Carpenter noted that firefighters also doused a quarter-acre fire at Pritchard Park two weeks ago, and a smaller fire near the water tower behind the high school Monday.

The grass fire on Fletcher Bay Road was apparently caused by a riding lawnmower.

“The homeowner was mowing his grass, and the grass is so dry — that he hit a rock … and created sparks. That’s all it took,” Carpenter said.

By the time the man finished mowing a row on his riding mower and turned around, Carpenter said, the homeowner saw the fire. It was quickly spreading, and he called 911.

By then, the fire had grown to roughly 50 feet by 50 feet in size.

It was even larger when firefighters arrived at the scene moments later.

“We got there in seven minutes, I think, and it was about an acre,” Carpenter said.

The fire was spreading at the pace of a quick walk, he said.

Luckily there was no wind, or the fire could have spread even quicker.

“The fire was definitely moving toward other structures. And in another five minutes … it would have gotten into some barns,” Carpenter said.

Firefighters used tenders to get water on the blaze when they first arrived, and units from Poulsbo and North Kitsap responded to the scene to assist.

Traffic on Fletcher Bay Road was shut down to one lane while firefighters battled the fire.

The new fire danger level doesn’t change restrictions in place due to the Phase 2 burn ban, but it’s a reminder that the potential for fires is even greater now.

The department is also responding to burn complaints from residents in an effort to educate islanders.

“We can’t emphasis enough how careful you have to be,” Carpenter said. “We’re way beyond what the poorly discarded cigarette can do,” Carpenter said.